Solving for Solution’s Sake

It’s inescapable. Politics is everywhere and everyone yearns for the man with the plan. However, I wonder how many can point back to the moment the last plan was put into action? Those tax cuts, brought to us by the partisans in Washington, weren’t permanent. The temporary fix is now coming back to haunt us and everyone is looking for another kick-the-can solution to be handed down from on high.

And so it goes with the central planners. They create their own job security with each law they pass, and get re-elected as they shrug their pragmatic shoulders and do the “right thing”. Can’t be helped. And we agree with them. Oh, maybe not fiscally, but on just enough of the issues so that we don’t dare let the other side’s candidate win.

Sides… they’ve become so important that we’ve lost sight of the game almost entirely. We’re surrounded by referees, and flags are thrown so often for so many infractions that the game can hardly be played at all. In fact, we cheer when the flag is in our favor, then boo when it’s thrown against us. Justice is irrelevant. We desire victory instead. It keeps bread (and circuses) on the table.

The solution is coming – whatever it is – comprised of the minimum output for the maximum gain in vote tallies. In other words, same as it ever was.

"The anointed don't like to talk about painful trade-offs. They like to talk about happy "solutions" that get rid of the whole problem - at least in their imagination." - Thomas Sowell

Comments

I just deleted my comment. When I compared it to your post, I realised you've made my points more elegantly. I retain from the deleted comment only this - I think, it was yesterday that I eventuially got rid of that pestering fly, a term I hear all the time and did not know the mmeaning of: "fiscal cliff" - now I do, and, as I said, come to the same conclusions as you do.

The American government is all-knowing and all-mighty, nothing to worry about in 2013.

I wish you, Eric, and all our collaborators at RSE as well as our friends and readers a GREAT NEW YEAR'S EVE and A HAPPY NEW YEAR.